Velocipede



UNITED STATES JAMES E. BROWNE, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

-VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,300, dated April 19, 1881. Application filed September 16, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. BRowNE, of Elizabeth, in the county of Union, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in means for producing rotary motion by foot-power applicable to ve-' loci pedes, and also steering the same, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to .10 produce a simple and efficient mechanism whereby a velocipede may be propelled by the feet and steered by the hands.

To this end the invention consists in the combination of the frame or body of the vehicle, with pedals and friction-clutches connected to the axle of the front wheel, and capable of being oscillated upward and downward, so as to impart motion to or revolve the front wheel and jointed steering-rods running through the frame from a steering-bar in front to a vertical pivot or swivel connection at the hind wheel, so that by oscillating the steering-bar forward and backward to thereby shift the steering wheel or device at the back part of the vehicle; also, in various details and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, 0 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a velocipede embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, showing the front joint of the steering-rods and their connection with the steering-bar; also, a sectional view of the in- 5 side parts of the combined pedal and friction clutching device upon the right side of the wheel-axis, and a perspective View of the inside parts of the same at the left, the wheel axis or shaft upon that side being represented as broken off, the better to show the construction. Fig. 3 represents the different parts in detailof the com bined pedaland friction clutching device.

A designates a frame, with its front part 0011- 4 5 structed so as to form a standard to receive the traction-wheel'B, and supported upon the rotary shaftU, which also forms the journals and axis of said wheel. At each end of said rotary 'shaft is rigidly fastened a disk, D, provided at its inner rim with a projecting flange, E.

Fdenotes aclutching-lever havin g jaws upon its lower part, through which the said flange upon disk Dis allowed to pass easily when said clutching-lever is at a right angle with said flange. It also works very loosely around shaft 5 5 O by means of the large orifice G in its upper part, through which said shaft passes. The upper end terminates in a slot, H.

I designates an oscillating lever, for which shaft 0 serves as a pivot or fulcrum. It is provided with a nib, J, upon its outer side, which projects into slot H upon the upper end of clutching-lever F, and is surmounted by the foot-pedal K, also upon said outer side. Upon the opposite or inner side is fixed a projecting knob or stop, L.

M designates a spring located at the inner side of lever I, and passing under or around shaft 0 fastened at its outer end to the knob or stop L upon lever I, and upon its inner end to a similar knob or stop, L, upon frame A. These knobs serve as stops to limit the length of the stroke of lever I by coming into contact at the end of each stroke, and prevent said lever from moving too far. Pressure upon pedal K contracts its controlling-spring M and bears downward its accompanying lever I, carrying with it and deflecting the clutching-lever F, the jaws of which then bind upon the flange of disk D, carrying with it and revolving said disk and wheel B. Removal of pressure from said pedal is accompanied by instant expansion of said spring. Lever I then ascends until stopped by the contact of knob or stop L. The jaws of the clutching-lever F now no longer bind upon flange E, but move to another position. Said flange nowpasses freely through thejaws of lever F, and disk D and wheel B are free to revolve until it is desired to increase the momentum by fresh pressure upon said 0 pedal.

It will be seen that as each revolution of the traction-wheel B does not necessitate a correspondin g movement of the pedals, less motion is required to keep the machine running than if'ordinary cranks and pedals were used.

In Fig.1 N designates a steering-bar mounted horizontally upon the upper end of the upright steering-rod 0, said rod working within and held in position by the bearing P. The lower part of said steering-rod is shown as bifurcated.

Q designates a steering-rod, which passes loosely downward and backward through the tubular reach 1%, forming the upper part of frame A, as indicated by the dotted lines. It terminates at the forward end in a bifurcation, which meets at a right angle the similarly-constructed lower end of the upright steeringrod 0.

S designates a forked standard, supported upon the journals of a steering wheel, T, adapted to be turned by the said standard, so as to guide the vehicle, and fitted to the hind part of the frame A upon a vertical pivot, U. Said vertical pivot is provided at its upper end with a bifurcate head, which meets at a right angle a similar construction at the hinder end of steering-rod Q.

V Vdesignates links rounded or egg-shaped, operating within and connecting the bifurcate ends of said steering-rods and vertical pivot by means of pins passing through them at right angles near their centers, thus forming joints which permit the turning of said rods and steering-wheel by oscillating or turning said steering-bar.

It will be seen that by my invention I provide a simple and efficient mechanism whereby a velocipede may be propelled and steered or guided without removing either of the hands or feet from the devices upon which they act to accomplish their results.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the bifurcate frame A with the wheel B, the shaft (J, the disk D, provided with flange E, the clutching-lever F, having jaws at its lower part, said lever working loosely upon shaft 0 by means of orifice G, and terminated at its upper end by slot H, the oscillating lever I, having nib J and pedal K upon its outer side and knob or stop L upon its inner side, the spring M, fastened at its extremities to knob or stop L upon lever I and O and the disk D, provided with frame A, the steering-bar N and jointed steering-rods O and Q passing through the upright bearing P and frame A to the bifurcate head of vertical pivotU, and connected together by means of the links V V, all constructed and operating as described.

2. The combination, With a bifurcate standard supported by a traction-wheel, of the shaft flange E, the clutchin g-lever F, havin g jaws at its lower part, said lever working loosely upon shaft 0, and terminated at its upper end byan orifice or slot, H, the oscillating lever I, having its fulcrum upon shaft 0, and having nib J and pedal K upon its outer side and knob or stop L upon its inner side, the spring M, fastened at its extremities to knob or stop L upon lever I, and said bifurcate standard, all constructed and operatin g as described.

3. Avertical pivot having a bifurcate head,

operating a steering-wheel having a swivel connection with the body of a vehicle, in combination with a series of rods and links, connected together by and working upon pins passing through said links and crossing each other at right angles, said rods, links, and steering device operated by a steering-bar, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

4. The steering-bar N and steering-rods O and Q, passing through the upright bearing P and frame A to the bifurcated head of vertical pivot U, in combination with and connected by means of the links V V, said steering-rods and vertical pivot working upon pins passing through said links at or near a right angle, all operating in the manner and for the purpose specified.

This specification signed this 30th day of August, 1880.

JAMES E. BROWVNE.

Witnesses:

J. ALEXANDER WvuAN, VVILLIAM RADoLIFF. 

